Olympic Judoka Fights for Women in Afghanistan The Long Game: Sports Stories of Courage and Conviction

Growing up in Afghanistan, Friba Rezayee didn’t always do as she was told. She didn’t enjoy the games the girls were supposed to play. So she played outside with the boys, even though it wasn’t allowed. As a teenager, Friba was introduced to the sport of judo, and she immediately knew that this would be how she would fight for her freedom. Friba qualified for the Olympics in 2004 and became the first woman to compete for Afghanistan at the Olympic Games. More recently, she founded the Women Leaders of Tomorrow, a non-profit dedicated to bringing sports and education to women and girls in Afghanistan. Her mission is to help create her country’s future leaders. But now that the Taliban is back in power, what’s to become of Friba’s dream?

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